Aiden came awake slowly, an unusual occurrence for a vampire that normally went from asleep to alert within the space of a heartbeat. For a few seconds, he had no idea where he was or why he was there, and then it all came flooding back to him. The possession, how disgusting he'd felt afterwards...Grace's betrayal.
Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he waited for his stomach to revolt, but it never did. Actually, he felt rather good.
Hearing the rumblings of deep voices coming from the other room, he got up and headed towards them. They stopped talking as he sauntered into the room, all four heads swiveling his way.
"Hallo, mates," he greeted the wolves. "You wouldn't happen to have any of that disgusting bagged blood, do you? I'm bloody starving."
Marc was the first to react. "Aye. Just so happens we dae! Duncan and I ran out while ye were sleeping. I'll get it for ye." Jumping up from the kitchen table where they were gathered with their coffees, he yanked open the door to the fridge and grabbed two bags. Tossing them across the table to Aiden, he sat back down.
"Thanks."
Cedric pulled out the empty chair next to him and patted the seat. "Come! Sit! How're ye feelin'?"
"Much better." He looked askance at the alpha of the pack, slightly embarrassed now that he wasn't heaving in the loo. "Um. Thank you for...you know...everything...last night."
Cedric lowered his brows in confusion at first, and then his face lit up with understanding. "Dinna mention it, my brother." Nodding at the blood bags lying on the table, he said, "Drink up. Ye look a bit pale. Even for a vampire."
Aiden grimaced, but dutifully picked up a bag and ripped off a corner with his teeth. This stuff was bloody horrible. He didn't know how Nik had lived on it for so long.
Speaking of which... He paused with the bag lifted halfway to his mouth and glared at each of the wolves in turn. "Any one of you ever mention this to Nikulas, I'll add your head to my collection. Understand? I'll never hear the end of it if he ever finds out I was drinking this stuff."
They all shook their heads adamantly.
"Would no' say a word."
"Dinna worry about that."
"I'm no' daft," Lucian pointed out.
"Well, that isna any fun."
This last from Duncan as he sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, his laughing, blue-green eyes downcast with disappointment.
"Not a bloody word, Duncan. I mean it."
"Aye. I heard ye the first time," he mumbled unconvincingly.
"Duncan," Cedric speared him with those eerie eyes of his, such a light blue they appeared white, and a low growl sounded deep in his throat.
Duncan held up his hands in surrender of his alpha's unspoken order. "I will nae say a word," he promised. "I swear."
Once he was convinced his order would be obeyed, Cedric turned to Aiden. "Whit are ye going tae do aboot that lassie of yers?"
Aiden slurped down the last of the second bag as he thought about that. Balling it up with the empty remains of the first one, he got up to toss them in the trash.
"How do you know about her?" he asked. "Actually, how did you even know where to find me?"
"The witches," Cedric said.
Aiden cocked an eyebrow. "The witches?"
"Emma and her sister. The lasses had some type 'o' dream. Saw you and yer lassie runnin' in that park."
"You don't say?" Aiden slam-dunked the wadded up bags into the trash.
"So?" Duncan asked. "Whit are ye going tae do about her?"
"I don't know," he finally admitted.
Lucian scoffed at him in disgust. "Yer just going tae let her get away wi' whit she did? Leavin' ye there like that? Why am I no' surprised?"
Aiden was behind him before anyone could track his movements, the knife he'd just swiped off the counter at Lucian's throat. "Are you trying to say something about vampires in general? Or just me in particular?"
"Oh, I was thinkin' ye in particular," Lucian ground out. His hands gripped the table as Aiden pressed the blade closer until it indented his skin.
"ENOUGH!" Cedric roared. "Aiden, kindly take yer blade from his throat. And Lucian," he gritted out. "Ye will haud yer wheesht, or I will reconsider letting Aiden at ye wi' that knife."
Aiden grinned as he dropped the knife into the sink.
One of these days, he was going to have to find out what the deal was with Lucian. He'd been a right angry bastard ever since last night. But right now, he had other things on his mind. Or rather, one other thing in particular - that disloyal female of his.
"I apologize for Lucian," Cedric told him. "He had nae right to speak tae ye like that."
But Aiden just shook his head. "No. Actually, Lucian is right. I need to go after her."
All four werewolves stood up so fast, a couple of their chairs fell over with a clatter.
"We'll go with ye," Cedric told him. "And dinna argue wit' me aboot it."
Aiden smiled at his friends. "I wouldn't think of it. Let me just grab Prickles out of his box and we can be on our way."
They arrived at the soccer ball sculpture a few minutes later, having mutually agreed that that was the best place to start looking. Hopefully, out of the five supernatural noses, one of them would be able to pick up her scent and follow it to wherever she was.
Strolling around casually amongst the humans, Duncan was the first one to find it. Heading off in the direction she'd gone, he whistled over his shoulder for the others to follow and they fell in behind him.
With Mojo snuggled up in his hood again and his rucksack over his shoulder, Aiden glanced around at the area where it all had gone down the night before, and his stomach clenched at the memory.
What a brilliant mess he now found himself in.
At least the demon, Waano, had been quiet ever since the wolves had appeared, and he could only hope he'd stay that way. At least until they found Grace and could get back to Seattle.
Falling in line behind the werewolves, he wondered (and not for the first time) why the hell he was going after her. After what she'd done, she deserved whatever situation she now found herself in.
If only he didn't feel this undeniable urge to find her and kiss her senseless.
After he severely scolded her for mucking everything up, of course.
They reached the road and stopped. Duncan walked in small circles searching for the scent, much like a bloodhound. After a few moments, he shook his head.
"It's gone. I cannae find it anymore."
"She must've gotten into a car." His hands on his narrow hips, Aiden looked around for a clue...anything...that would give them some idea of where she'd gone.
Lucian looked around at the others. "Do ye no' smell that?"
All of them, including Aiden, scented the air again.
"Who is that?" he asked. "Is that...?"
"A wolf," Cedric confirmed.
"Someone you blokes know?" Aiden asked.
Marc shook his head. "No."
"So there's a strange wolf following Grace?" Aiden looked at each of them in turn, seeing his own feelings of concern reflected on their faces.
Cedric cleared his throat.
Looking up at him, Aiden cocked an eyebrow impatiently. "Yes? Spit it out."
"I was only wonderin', kin you no' feel her? She is yer mate, isnae she? Ye should be able to track her."
Three more pairs of eyes turned to him in surprise.
"She's yer mate?" Marc asked. "Why didnae ye just say so?"
Aiden held his hands out in front of him, holding off any more questions. "I never said she was mine."
"Och, the lass is yers," Cedric told him confidently.
"Poppycock," Aiden insisted, for some reason unwilling to voice what he pretty much knew. "I have no evidence that she is anything but a lovely lady in distress, and I decided to lend her a hand while I was here."
"Ye can tell yerself that all ye like," Cedric said. "But in all the years I've known ye, ye've never once...no' once...ever bothered this much with a lass. Yer a love 'em and leave 'em kind o' lad. I bet ye ne'er sae much as spent a whole night wi' a lassie until now."
"What's your point?"
"Ye 'ave her boot brush in yer hood," Lucian stated, as if that was the only evidence he needed.
Aiden scratched his head. He opened his mouth to protest, but what was the use? "I've never fed from her, so no, I can't feel her."
Duncan smacked him on the shoulder, upsetting Mojo. Aiden heard his little huffs and smiled as he wiggled around a bit before settling back down.
"Dinna worry, my friend," he told him. "We'll find yer lassie."
A thought suddenly occurred to Aiden, and his head snapped up. "I think I know where she went."
"Where?" Cedric asked.
Aiden nodded, feeling daft for not thinking of it before. "She was with those Suits. The same humans she was following when I met her."
"Aye?" Marc asked. "And?"
"And they probably went back to the same empty building we broke into to get Mojo back after they stole him. That must be where she is." Without waiting for the others, he took off in that direction.
Duncan looked over at Marc. "Why in the world would anybody want tae steal the boot brush? He's no' very friendly."
But Marc just shrugged and pulled him along behind the others.